The Evolution of South Africa’s Political Arena: From ANC Supremacy to New Political Forces.
By Qotoyi Xolani
Houses of Parliament in Cape Town. Photo: Wikipedia user PhilippN (CC BY-SA 3.0)
1994 marked the end of apartheid in South Africa which opened a pathway to a multiparty democracy. With this analysis we are going to compare major parties like the African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance with minor parties like the Economic Freedom Fighters and others.
Although there were already multipparties existing before the end of apartheid which included the Bantustan parties, progressive Federal Party, United Democratic Front, Inkatha, PAC, ANC and the National Party which all together represented different needs and interests.
Post apartheid we saw the African National Congress holding pole position for year with new main opposition parties almost every decade.
The African National Congress is the main liberator of South Africa from the apartheid regime, I say main because there are other parties that played their role in the struggle against oppression. ANC, has focused mainly in reducing racial inequalities, symbolising change and Nation building specifically under the late Nelson Mandela.
The ANC for many year held the Power in influencing policy making in parliament, South African democracy is that of the the people. The people elect the government they want to see and the most elected party becomes the one that holds the main influence in parliament and the ANC has enjoyed that privilege for over 20 years.
However over the year the ruling parties has faced harsh criticism from its opposition parties with criticism suggesting that the party leaders were/are hands deep in corruption, in cahoots with the private sector to keep the status quo unchanged and keeping the economy in the hands of the minority and not being able to keep the party together as its main opponents are parties that left the ANC to start their own organisations.
Especially of lately as it lost many votes having to form a coalition with the Democratic Alliance and other small parties to form a government of national unity.
Who is The DA? It is a party merged from the Democratic Party and the New National Party, it is the centre of the right wing policies in this country. From 2004 to 2009 this party saw a huge achievement and what marked the party to be the future of South African politics as it gained significantly higher votes than previous years and made Helen Zille the mayor of Cape Town.
The DA was growing and looked like it focused more in Cities and Metropolitans. Under Mmusi Maimane the party bridged untouched territories as it made its way to middle class South Africans and preaching inclusion, although Mainmane today in 2024 under his own new party BOSA claims that the former party that he represented did not care about all South Africans in his Tell All Book published this year, “Dare To Believe, Why I Could Not Stay in The DA” just before the elections.
Post Maimane the Democratic Alliance continued to build and secured major municipalities. They focus mainly in efficient service delivery and economic opportunities. Despite all this success, there are many issues that this party has failed to sort out even in the Western Cape that they governed from 2009. Issues such as crime, service delivery as there are still townships in Cape Town that do not have flushing toilets to this day and people walk over sewage and are being robbed in daylight.
However, the DA is now the main opposition party in South Africa and is now in the government of national unity with the ANC as mentioned above.
Here is a major left wing party in the Economic Freedom Fighters, formed by Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu after their explosion from the African National Congress. According Malema, as the youth league of the ANC they wanted to incorporate left wing ideas into the ANC. The EFF champions the land question, economic freedom for the black majority and nationalisation of major industries.
However, one of the regular political commentators and activist Advocate Ike Khumalo claims that the EFF nationalisation plan is a way for them to try and get in on deals that the Economic Elite has closed for everyone else in the money game of corruption. Khumalo says this on Podcast with Penuel on the Penuel Show.
The party critiques the ANC for failing to address economic inequalities and corruption, positioning itself as a force for radical change. The EFF's emphasis on social justice and economic reform resonates with many disillusioned voters, distinguishing it sharply from more moderate political alternatives.
EFF and Malema had been critiqued and accused of being a dictatorship party due to the leaders persona that he displays. People claim that he does not allow other party Members to speak. Andile Mgxitama, Black Land First party leader who people think share similar goals were asking the earlier to rejoin the EFF despite not see eye to eye with Julius.
Mgxitama who has now joined the MK party another left wing, led by former South African president Jacob Zuma. Andile Mgxitama speaks before the elections on the likle hood of coalition between the leftwing parties; EFF, MK and the ANC or the DA and the ANC and how terrifying that looks likes on Andile Mpofu Walsh's podcast.
The MK in its first year of existence has faced A lot of controversy, despite all that after the election the party became the third lagers party in the country overtaking the EFF.
The EFF has went from third all its existence just behind the DA, gaining a lot of momentum before these elections. Having the leaders and party believing that they could actually overtake the DA however with the introduction of the Mkhonto weSizwe parties they bit the dust to both the DA and MK with a new party Patriotic Alliance wich focused on exiting foreign nationals from the country. A party on its debut that also enjoyed controversy and got rewarded for it by gaining a minister’s office in the department of arts and culture.
In conclusion, South Africa's political landscape has undergone profound changes since the end of apartheid in 1994, with major and minor parties playing pivotal roles in shaping governance. The ANC, having been the leading force in dismantling apartheid and spearheading nation-building, has faced significant scrutiny over issues of corruption and ineffective governance. This scrutiny has led to shifts in voter support and the rise of new political forces.
The DA, which has grown from its center-right roots to become a formidable opposition, focuses on urban governance and service delivery, although it also struggles with unresolved challenges in its municipalities. The emergence of the EFF, MK, and Patriotic Alliance underscores a significant shift toward radical and reformist agendas, driven by dissatisfaction with the status quo. These parties advocate for economic justice, land reform, and more inclusive governance. The dynamic interplay between these political entities reflects the ongoing evolution of South African democracy, highlighting the nation’s continuous quest for equitable and effective governance. As these parties navigate their roles, they will profoundly influence South Africa’s political and socio-economic future.
